đŸ”— Share this article The iconic guitarist Steve Cropper, musician of the famed band Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84 Steve Cropper served as a key member of the house band of the influential Memphis label Stax Records. The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper, the acclaimed guitarist with the iconic band Booker T & the MGs, has died at the age of 84. The guitar virtuoso, who contributed to and collaborated on writing Otis Redding's Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay and the hit track In the Midnight Hour, succumbed on Wednesday in Nashville. Widely regarded among the greatest supporting groups in the history of soul music, the group Booker T. Jones and the MGs was the house band of the historic Memphis label Stax Records and is best remembered for their classic 1962 track Green Onions. Cropper also joined the comedy music group The Blues Brothers in the 1970s and performed on their popular rendition of Soul Man. "Steve was a beloved artist, writer, and producer whose extraordinary talent inspired countless people around the world," his family stated in a message. "While we mourn the loss of a loved one and companion, we find comfort knowing that Steve will endure through his music," they added. A specific cause was not disclosed. A colleague, Eddie Gore, stated he was with Cropper recently in Nashville, where the guitarist was developing new songs. "He's such a good human," Gore said. "We were blessed to have him, for sure." Steve Cropper, right, with peers Eddie Floyd and Sheryl Crow. A Prolific Career Ranked the number two guitarist of all time by a music periodical in 1996, Cropper began working at Stax Records in 1961 at the age of 20. A year later, the MGs came together, featuring organist Booker T Jones, drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewie Steinberg - who was succeeded by Donald "Duck" Dunn in 1964. The band was honored by inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. "I've always seen myself as a player who focuses on rhythm," Cropper explained in a previous conversation. "I take pride in the fact that I can play something over and over, while other guitar players don't want to even know about that. They refuse to play the same lick twice." As well as a guitarist, Cropper was a vastly creative songwriter, and in addition to Dock of the Bay and In the Midnight Hour, he collaborated on Eddie Floyd's hit Knock on Wood. According to available information, he was "a part of virtually every record put out by Stax from the fall of 1961 through 1970". "We would literally spend long days in the studio," Cropper said. "I think we had nearly 20 artists on the roster, so we had a extremely demanding schedule."